Self-fusing solder.



L. S. GRAVES.

SELF FUSING SOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19. 1911.

Patented 111g. 31, 1915.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

LESTER S. GRAVES, O1? EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

SELF-FUSING SOLDEB.

To all may concern Be it known that I, LESTER S. GRAVES, a

' citizen of the United States, residin at Evanston, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SelfFusing Solder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in' solder, and refers more specifically to improvements in self-fusing solder.

Among the salient objects of the invention are to provide as a new article of manufacture a product which can be appliedto a joint to be soldered and after application ignited, and by burning its combustible constituents supply the heat necessary to efiect soldering; to provide a construction which is extremely convenient and capable of ready application; to provide an article which may be applied without the use of any tools whatever; to provide an article which insures well soldered joints by reason of the efi'ective heating of the jolnt and uniform elevation of a joint with the self-fusing solder applied and about one-half the length thereof fused and the incombustible core partly unwrapped; Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a part of the joint shown in Fig. 1'; Fig. 4.- is a perspective of a fragmentary portion of the solder, one end thereof partly unfolded. 4

A preferred embodiment of my invention is constructed as follows: A cord or 1 of absorbent material and practically non- .combustible is provided and charged with tallow or tallow-like material. I refer to use asbestos for'the core, and I pre or to use a mixture/of tallow and paraflin, or paraflin andstearin, of tallow-like consistcncyjfor supplies the heat for soldering. I prefer to charging-thecore. The oily material used to charge the core is the combustible which Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

- Application filed October 19, 1911. Serial No. 655,541.

make this oily material somewhat softer than is suitable for candle-making so that it is not friable at normal temperatures, and to this end I add a small proportion of turpentlne to the mixture. The cordor core is convemently charged by passing it through a vessel containing the melted oil. This core is then inclosed in a jacket of solder which is preferably formed up into tubular shape surrounding the core by passing the core and rdgbbon together through a suitable forming In the several figures, 2 designates the solder acket. of the article, and it will be noted that the seam where the edges of the ribbon are brought together around the core extends longitudinallv throughout one side of the article, as indicated at 3.

The article is ordinarily used by wrapping it around the joint to be soldered. The core tends to unwrap under the action of burning, and to overcome this tendency I prefer to provide-the core with a spiral wrapping of fine soft wire, as indicated at 4; the turns of wire being of very long pitch, say about one turn to the inch.

For soldering wires up -to No. 8 gage, I prefer to make the core about 1/10 inch in diameter, the jacket about 1/100 inch in thickness, and of a width to just nicely close snugly around the core, and the soft wire wrapping 4 of about No. 24 gage.

The article may be used substantially as I follows: Assume that a'pairof telephone or telegraph wires have been twisted together and the joint is to be soldered, the operator takes a suitable length of the self fusing solder, say -a piece about five inches Ion lays one end of it obliquely across the-stran s of wire, taln'ng care to have the seam or joint 3 of the solder on the outside away from the point of contact with the wire.

-He then wraps the free end of the solder around the wires in spiral turns, placing these turns closely adjacent and preferably in actual contact with each other, and being careful to keep the seam or joint of the solder always at the outside. As the strand is bent around the members of the joint, the jacket automatically opens along the seaminto trough-shape, thus exposing the core quite fully at the outside of the turns. The

entire length iswrapped around the joint, and is then in readinex for ignition. The workman thenignites the core, referably both ends of the core, in if he proset because this minimizes fers he may also ignite it'throughout the full length so that it will all burn off together. It is desirable to ignite both ends at the outthe amount of heat which is conducted away by the wires and results in heating the latter hotter. The solder is melted by the burning core and flows into the interstices of the jointand between the core and the wires. The asbestos core serves as a mat, which in conjunction'with the wires prevents the solder from dropping ofl no matter how hot the joint is made, unless, of course, there is a surplus of solder, but in any event retains the most of the solder inside of the turns of the core and in the joints between the pieces of wire to be united. The fine strand of wire l simply serves the purpose of preventing. the core from unwrapping and spac:

ing itself away from the wires while the combustion is procee ing.

The dimensions and various components of the article may, of course, be varied to suit different conditions.

-It.-is by no means essential thatthe solder completely jacket the core, nor that the solder be combined with the core in the particular manner described, although this form has proved in practice the best known to me. Accordinglythe appended claims are to be construed broadly, except in'so far as they are made specific.

.I claim as my invention: I

1. In combination, a length of flexible proportions of the non-metallic solder-and-combustible-supporting material, itself practically incombustible by ordinary heat and flame, so as to preserve its integrity and retain its soldersupporting function in the presence of combustion, a quantity of combustible material, adapted to support combustion in air, associated with said length of flexible material, and a quantity of solder likewise associated therewith and disposed in sufiiciently tributed or attenuated form to be melted by the heat of combustion of said combustible material.

2. In combination, a core of porous material, a charge of combustible substance impregnating said core and .a wrapping o solder upon said core.

3. In combination, an asbestos strand, charged with non-liquid combustible and a wrapping of solder upon said strand. 7

4. In combination, an asbestos core, charged with non-liquid oleaginous material, and a ribbon of solder inwrapping said core.

5. In combination, an asbestos core, charged with non-liquid oleaginous material, a ribbon of solder inwrapping said core, and a strand of fine soft wire associated with the core and adapted to restrain it'from unwinding while burning.

' LESTER S. GRAVES.

Witnesses:

CHARLES J. SCHMIDT, EMILIE Rosa.

dis- 

